This invention relates to an A which is used for adding electronic memory and intelligence to ordinary identification (ID) cards.
ID cards are widely known and used today. They come in several different standard sizes. Some are made of paper and some are made of plastic material or a combination of plastic and paper. Some cards come in several layers where there is a space to insert a picture, ready to be laminated. These cards are often attached to clothing for display.
Using ID cards as an apparatus for access control is also in use today. These cards contain some means of coding that is recognizable by the access rendering device, such as bar coding, magnetic stripe, placement of metal wafers (Wiegend U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,774,180 and 3,820,090), or proximity technology. A common feature of these cards is that the coding is attached or embedded into the card and cannot be altered unless the coding is removed and replaced and, since most of these cards are sealed, they cannot be reused. One shortcoming of these cards is that the coded information is limited to an ID number or similar coding of identification and they typically cannot handle extensive amounts of data, such as digitized fingerprint, retina scan, memorized PIN number, other authentication data, or some combination of said data. Therefore, usage of greater data capacity would be desirable in these systems.
There are other cards in use today which are identified as "smart cards". They carry read and write non-volatile memory where they can interact with the system in which they are being used. This may be an access control system, such as one taught by Haag et al., 3615207 Federal Republic of Germany, or a credit/debit system card. With this technology, the data capacity is increased tremendously and the cards are reusable by different personnel as the data they carry (including user-specific authentication) can be changed or rewritten. These smart cards usually come in a card shade and are a bit thicker than the ordinary credit card. They have terminal connections for reading and writing data. The placement of the terminals is usually brand-specific and they can be used in a variety of systems that incorporate this brand of cards. Therefore, the same card can fit into an access system as well as hospital patient records/medical history system or debit/credit system.
Combining the ID card containing employee/holder picture with the smart card would be very desirable in access control systems. Limiting the acceptance of the cards to the system of their intended usage would also be desirable. The current invention addresses these issues by a smart card conversion apparatus, that is, by combining an access control, memory-containing device with a conventional ID card, to produce a convenient, wearable credential with multiple functions.
Currently, in many applications, picture ID cards and smart cards are carried separately by a holder, such as an employee. This is because combining them has never suggested itself due to problems of their physical characteristics. The first problem is the size of the ID card versus the size of the smart card: unless they are exactly the same size, this attachment would be very difficult. There are about eight different standard sizes for ID cards, such as IBM type, credit card size, driver's license size, government size, etc. Another problem would be that, upon attachment, the ID card could block the terminals of the smart card. In addition, if they were attached, the ID card would increase the thickness of the smart card and would not fit into the receiving device, unless the receiving device were altered for acceptance of the thicker material. Another problem would arise from insertion of the ID card along with the smart card into an acceptance receptacle or reading device, which would wear out the plastic coating of the ID card and require frequent replacement. Another problem is that, due to the heat sensitivity of the smart card, the two cards cannot be laminated, and, if they were laminated, it would defeat the purpose of reusability of the smart card portion of the combination. And finally, with standardization, no limitation could be applied to the acceptance of the card by other systems. Any card having the same shape and/or terminal connection points can be inserted for use, whether intended or not, which could reduce security.